Our submission for the website Cats in Refrigerators

Loki was a sport!  

Paleo Pancit WOW who needs rice???

I made this for dinner last night, it was a HUGE hit!  The only thing I would do differently is buy a larger head of cabbage and tone down the quantity of meat used!  I cannot wait to adapt this recipe to some of my other favorite Asian foods, you HAVE to make this, Paleo or not its DELICIOUS.

Ingredients:

1 Large head of cabbage

3 bunches of green onions

1 lb. of pork tenderloin 

1/2 lb. wild caught shrimp (uncooked)

1.5 lbs. chicken

4 carrots

2 Tbsp. Tamari or Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)

2 Tbsp. Fish Sauce (MUST HAVE INGREDIENT)

2 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil

Preparation:

1.Slice cabbage into thin strips, set aside in large bowl

2.Shred carrots, I used my food processor add to bowl with cabbage

3.Thinly slice green onions, save some for garnish if you like. Add to bowl with other veg.

4.Cut the chicken and pork into small bites, place in med. sized bowl

5. Add Soy or Tamari and let sit for 1/2 hour, I added about 5 cloves of crushed garlic as well but that is not necessary, we just LOVE garlic.  Ginger is good to add here too if you have it.

6.Remove shells and devein shrimp, place in small bowl

7. Heat up wok with olive or coconut oil

8.Add pork and chicken, stir fry for 5 min. or until cooked.

9.Remove meat to another CLEAN bowl, set aside

10. Add cabbage, carrots and onions to wok with fish sauce, fry at high temp for aprox. 8 minutes or until cabbage is cooked but not mushy. I think I overcooked mine but it was still good, cabbage is a very forgiving veg.

11.  Add shrimp and stir fry until pink

12.  Add pork and chicken, stir fry for a few minutes and its DONE!!!

I did add some crushed red pepper for a little heat, it is totally no necessary but we like our  spicy food around here! :)  I hope you try it, we LOVED it..

Example of a delicious Paleo lunch!

This is a pretty straightforward lunch when eating Paleo! OH OH OH I have lost 4 lbs., I don't expect this to be my normal weekly weight loss but I am pretty darn happy..:)  OK so this salad consists of 1 whole organic tomato, load of chopped romaine lettuce, 2 Tbsp. shredded cheese, 1/2 avocado, 1 can tuna (not albacore due to mercury) packed in water and a fairly large amount of hot banana peppers (my guilty salty pleasure).  I used a store bought organic balsamic vinaigrette, not sure how Paleo friendly it is but if I am going to eat salads like a crazy fool I do have to have tasty dressing!!! :)  

English Peas My FAVORITE Snack

Yummy Paleo Breakfast and Why I have ignored my blog!

Hello BLOG I sure have missed you!

Life certainly can get in the way at times and my poor blog has taken quite a hit, for that I am sorry. :(  I will continue to post my yummy bakery creations but you will find that I will be posting mainly Paleo deliciousness.   YES folks, I am on a D**T...I am pretty darn tired of hauling around this extra weight and kinda really want to look good in a wetsuit..HAHAHA  The best thing about Paleo is I can have both spinach and wine so I did not need to change the name of my blog! YEA

The above plate is what I had for breakfast this morning!  If you are not familiar with Paleo eating, it can be summed up pretty simply NO PROCESSED FOOD AND NO GRAINS.  Its not low carb as such (I hated Atkins), I can eat all manner of fruits and veggies and of course lean protein.  Today I had 1/2 zucchini cut into thin strips sautéed with a small leek in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tomato and a small amount of Creekside Smokehouse Cold Smoked Salmon (the best on the planet).  I am attempting to watch my sodium so the only "salt" came from the salmon and my guilty pleasure TAPATIO.  

OH and the reason I have not been blogging is because I suffer from extreme Procrastination Disorder with a tinge of Laziness Disease! I am working on that too...:)  

Thai Beef Curry with spicy pickled cucumbers

Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Bread with chocolate chips

Chocolate Bagels with Chocolate Sprinkles

Swai with Pesto and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Swai is another name for Thai Striped Catfish, I am NOT a fan of Catfish here in the US, just not a flavor I am fond of BUT, Swai is totally different!  The flesh is somewhat flaky and holds together nicely when pan fried or baked like below.  I am constantly finding ways to incorporate more fish into my families diet and Swai fits perfectly, light, not fishy and the kids like it!! :)  I don't really have a recipe to go with this meal, I lightly oiled a baking dish, placed the Swai in, spooned some ready made Pesto on the fish, covered and baked at 375 for about 20 minutes, turned out excellent!  The Brussel Sprouts were quartered and cooked with 3 strips of diced bacon, red pepper flakes and a dash of salt...WOW they were delicious!  This was truly a quick, easy and healthy meal....

So many ways to use SMOKED BUTTER!

OK I am sure you are wondering what the heck this is...WELL its cold smoked butter, think cold smoked cheeses and salmon except BUTTER!    The ONLY place this is produced is in a small artisanal  smokehouse on the Northern California Coast in the lovely town of El Granada and they sell LOTS of it.  I have used it in LOTS of ways but, my favorite is in Parmesan Potatoes (smoked butter and smoked Parmesan), ALL veggies, fish and a nice little pat on a perfectly grilled steak is DIVINE.  This stuff is addicting and thinking up uses for it can be mind boggling....woohoo smoked butter!

EASY Vegetarian "Hamburger Helper"

I had Mushrooms and Spinach to use up, I wanted a quick and healthy lunch, I ended up with a bowl of comfort food and enough to freeze for future lunches or quick dinners!  I am calling it "Hamburger Helper" only because of the type of noodle and the cooking process, cooking the pasta in the sauce makes for a wonderful starchy broth, perfect for this kind of meal.  

Ingredients:


1 Red Onion, diced
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Pkg or 2 cups sliced Mushrooms
1 can Tomato Soup (I used Cambells)
3/4 C. Uncooked elbow macaroni
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 tsp dried chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. Salt (or to taste)




OK so here it goes...Its easy!  Heat pan, add olive oil and diced onion, cook till onion is shiny and translucent. 
Add Mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes, add tomato soup, refill can with water twice and add to pan, stir.  Add salt, pepper and chili pepper flakes, bring to a boil, add elbo macaroni, cover with lid or foil and cook at medium heat for aprox. 1/2 hr... I recommend stirring it a couple times and keep an eye on the liquid, you might need to add another can of water for pasta to cook properly.
Once pasta is done, add the spinach, replace lid, turn off heat and let the spinach release its liquid.  
You do not have to limit yourself to the mushrooms, onions and spinach, this recipe lends itself to all combinations of veggies!  The tomato soup can also be replaced with sauce or diced tomatoes and their liquid, I feel the tomato soup adds a bit more of a "comfort food" experience to it.

Hamburger buns

Cold Smoked Salmon From Creekside Smokehouse in El Granada CA

Orange cookies

Broccoli Chicken

I made this for my family for the first time last night, it was delicious!!  If you do not want to velvet the chicken and fry it in oil, it would be fine stir fried at a high heat with minimal fat.  I might also add some freshly grated ginger as well, the recipe is easily adapted to other veggies ect.  

• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• To Cook Broccoli:
• 1 pound broccoli
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
• Other:
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups plus 4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
• 3/4 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• To Velvet Chicken:
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes. In a bowl, mix together the egg white, cornstarch and salt. Add the egg white mixture to the chicken cubes, tossing or using your fingers to coat the chicken in the mixture. Marinate the velveted chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: for the sauce, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy, dark soy, and water in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thickener and set aside. Wash and drain the broccoli. Cut the stalk diagonally into thin slices. Cut the flowerets into 3 or 4 pieces. Crush the garlic.
3. Preheat a wok. Heat 2 cups oil in the wok until it reaches 275 degrees Fahrenheit. (Test the heat by placing a piece of chicken in the wok - it should float). Add the chicken cubes, and let cook until they just turn white (about 30 seconds), using a wooden spoon or chopsticks to gently separate them. Quickly remove the chicken cubes from the wok as soon as they turn white, and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
4. Drain the oil out of the wok or preheat a second wok on medium high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds.
5. Add the broccoli, sprinkle the salt and sugar over, and stir fry briefly, turning down the heat if necessary to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the 1/2 cup water, and cook the broccoli, covered, for 4 - 5 minutes, until it turns a bright green and is tender but still crisp. Remove from the wok and drain.
6. Clean out the wok and heat 2 more tablespoons oil. Add the broccoli and the velveted chicken, stirring and tossing to cook the chicken through. Add the sauce and cornstarch mixture in the middle of the wok and stir quickly to thicken. Mix everything together and serve hot over steamed rice.

Waffles

This is my very favorite Waffle recipe!  I always double the recipe and freeze for busy school day breakfasts!

Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Soft Pretzel Bites WARNING ADDICTIVE

Words cannot describe the yumminess of these amazing nuggets of .....YUMM

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
coarse sea salt

On low speed, mix the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups of the flour and mix on low speed until combined.  Increase the speed to medium knead until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.  Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Spray a bowl with cooking spray (or oil with with vegetable oil), add the dough and turn to coat.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Spray two baking sheets liberally with cooking spray.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each.  Roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 22 inches.  Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites.  Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches of about 10-15 for 30 seconds.  Remove with a large slotted spoon and place the pretzel bites on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they aren't touching.  Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt.  Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Hummus

I have been making Hummus for years now, most of the recipes out there are the same with the exception of some, which exclude Cumin.  YOU NEED the Cumin folks, it is what gives Hummus its distinct flavor, skip ALL recipes that omit it!!  I have used canned garbanzo beans and cooked my own, either way is fine, just don't freeze your extra beans and expect to make good Hummus with them at a future date! Nope it doesn't work, freezing does something to the beans to make them gritty, I learned the hard way.  I also do not think I have made it the same way twice, its a very forgiving food as long as you have the basic ingredients. I posted a pic of my breakfast this morning, nothing better than homemade Hummus on a homemade bagel....YUMMY

I

Ingredients:

1-2 Large cloves garlic

2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas (reserve liquid)

2 Tbsp Tahini

1/4 C. Lemon Juice

1/2 Tsp. Cumin

Large pinch Cayenne (to taste)

Salt to taste

Smoked Paprika for sprinkling on top. (optional)

Method:

Add all ingredients in the food processor, add reserved liquid from beans or water (I always forget to save the liquid), mix until you achieve the desired consistency.

Told you it was EASY!  Serve with toasted pita bread, tomatoes, cucumber and red onions.  

Bacon Jam and I am not a food photographer!

OK so this jam is good!  REALLY REALLY good and is best eaten with pretzel sticks, warm bread or simply on a spoon.  I would describe it as sweet, salt, slightly spicy smoked goodness.  I also want to add that the above photo and the photo's of my last few blog posts have been from my camera phone, you see, I had a bit of a accident with my good camera, its sitting in a large ziploc bag of rice and I am praying that it works again..ya ya it fell in the sink. :(  So, please don't consider these photo's as fancy foodie food photos..LOL  

1 lb good-quality bacon

1 small onion, finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup coffee, cola or beer

1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

Roughly chop the bacon and cook it in a heavy pot; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon, draining off most of the drippings. Saute the onion and garlic cloves in the rest for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden.

Return the bacon to the pan, add the brown sugar, coffee and maple syrup and cook over medium heat for half an hour, or until deep golden and thickened to the consistency of jam.

If you like, cool and pulse in the food processor for a finer texture. Serve warm or cold. Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for a week or two, if it lasts that long.

Sweet Potato Casserole Bars

This recipe is a winner!  I made these at holiday time and they were a HUGE hit.  I am not a fan of marshmallows on my sweet potato casserole but on this bar they make all the difference.  The bar itself is dense and moist and the crunchy marshmallows really bring it all together.


Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. canned sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• half of a 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows

I used Organic canned Sweet Potatoes, 1 med sweet potato scrubbed, baked and cooled will work as well. Either way you need 3/4 cup!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with foil, and spray with cooking spray.

Cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Mix in the vanilla and the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour, and mix until just incorporated.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sweet potato puree.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 26-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Scatter the marshmallows over the top, being sure to cover the entire pan.  Preheat the broiler, and broil the bars until the marshmallows are dark golden-brown.  You may have to rotate the pan a few times depending on how evenly your broiler cooks.  

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into bars.

Beautifully simple red grapefruit.

I fell in LOVE with this grapefruit after cutting it AND yes, it tasted as good as it looks!
OH, I was testing my new blogger ap on my android phone, now sure what I think yet but, I will keep giving it a go if it means I will post more!

Bagels

 

I have been making these yummy bagels for months now, they are seriously the most delicious bagels I have ever had (insert shameless bragging).  My desire to make the perfect bagel has been around for a LONG time, my first 5 attempts were ugly and moderately edible (everything is better with cream cheese). I think my fear of yeast and lack of knowing when the dough has been kneaded enough was the reason for my failures, and the fact that I kept them in boiling water far too long!  So, if I could give you any advice in regards to bagel making, don't have them in the water too long, you will have shriveled up hockey pucks with a hole in the middle.  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. hot water

2 1/4 Tsp. yeast (or 1 packet)

2 Tbsp Sugar

3 Cups Bread Flour

1 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. Sugar

1 egg (egg wash)

Corn Meal 

Various toppings, use your imagination

1. Place hot water, yeast and 2 Tbsp. sugar in mixing bowl (I use my kitchenaide), let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add flour and salt, knead with dough hook or by hand until soft and elastic. This is a dense dough so it will be rather firm to the touch, I knead for about 3 minutes at med. speed.
3. Cover with a towel and sit in a warm place, I have a proofing feature on my oven, usually takes about 30 minutes but, sitting on the counter might be 1-2 hours depending on temp in house.  You want to see that the dough has doubled in bulk.
4. While the dough is rising, fill a large stock pot with water, once its to the boil add 4 Tbsp sugar and reduce heat ( you want it to be able to quickly get to the boil when the bagels are done proofing)
5. Parchment paper line a large cookie sheet and lightly coat with oil, I use spray olive oil.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
7. Take proofed dough and cut it into 6 portions, roll into a ball and using your finger make a hole, you want to make it big enough because when they rise again the hole will get much smaller. Place on prepared cookie sheet, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
8. Get water back up to the boil.
9. Place bagel top side down into boiling water, you want to boil them for NO MORE than 15 seconds on each side, place on a clean towel with a slotted spoon, repeat until all are done.
10. Sprinkle corn meal onto the cookie sheet the bagels were on while rising, transfer bagels from towel to cookie sheet.
11. Brush each bagel with the egg wash and sprinkle whatever toppings you desire, we like poppy seed, sesame seed, cinnamon sugar and onion.
12. Bake for aprox 30 minutes